“Our farm has grown significantly now,” Secretary A said. “The organization has transferred a capable officer from Daqing to join you in leading the team. Manager Chen, this means you’ll have much less on your plate in the future.”

In state-run enterprises, when the workforce reaches a certain size, it’s inevitable to appoint a Party Secretary or Political Commissar.

Often, the same person assumes both roles.

Chen Lina understood this well.

As the farm manager, she was primarily responsible for production, while the secretary oversaw ideological matters and discipline.

And, of course, the secretary also oversaw her.

This was within her expectations, so she wasn’t surprised.

“When will the new secretary officially take office?” Chen Lina asked.

Secretary A replied, “He reported to the farm a week ago while you were sick. From what I’ve heard, he’s extremely popular there.”

As she left the mining district, she happened to run into Nie Bozhao, who had just finished meeting with Director Gao.

They got in the car together.

Seeing her unhappy expression, Nie asked, “Not satisfied with the brand of lipstick, or is it the color?”

Chen Lina, who had been trying to mend her clothes earlier, was overjoyed when she saw the lipstick.

She immediately applied it, gave each of the three kids a big kiss, and seemed to recover from her illness instantly.

However, she didn’t dare wear lipstick in public.

She saved it for evenings, pairing it with a glass of red wine to indulge in her vanity.

“How did you know my favorite shade?” she asked, curious. “It’s perfect! Or have you bought lipstick for other women before, Old Nie?”

“Big data analysis,” Nie Bozhao explained. “By compiling the shades of red in the things you’ve purchased, calculating a range of tones, and factoring in your skin tone values, the lab determined the shade that suits you best.

Then, the international color index was consulted to identify the exact shade, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ensured it was purchased.”

“You’re better at this than he ever was. He never knew what color I liked,” Chen Lina remarked sincerely.

Nie Bozhao was instantly beaming, feeling as though branches were sprouting from his head like a tree in full bloom.

But then she added, “Still, whenever I liked a brand, he would just buy every shade they had so I could choose.”

Well, those branches quickly retracted.

“I’m feeling a bit uneasy,” she admitted. “I’ve been sick for a week, and the new secretary has already started. I don’t know what kind of temperament he has or how he operates.

Old Nie, I used to run everything single-handedly. I’ve never worked as a team with someone else, and you know the situation at the farm.”

To put it bluntly, the farm was full of misfits.

Yet these “misfits” not only avoided re-education but were respected.

They received the same food rations as cadres, worked eight-hour shifts, and then spent their free time composing music, writing songs, and dancing.

Weekends were for hiking and picnics—they lived quite the life.

Now, if a strict and upright secretary arrived, wouldn’t that cause trouble?

“Miss Chen, it’s almost noon. We still need to visit some guests.

One of my classmates wants to meet you, and it might help resolve some of your concerns,” Nie Bozhao said.

Chen Lina immediately became wary. “Man or woman? What’s their last name? First name? Are they attractive?”

Alright, this reaction was probably identical to that of his late wife.

Steeling himself, Nie Bozhao replied, “A female classmate. She’s widowed, taking a break to clear her mind. She’s bringing along a junior who happens to be your new secretary, He Min.”

“So it’s a female classmate after all. Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Where are we meeting?”

“The private room on the second floor of the state-run restaurant. Let’s have a simple meal together.”

---

“What are you doing?” Nie Bozhao asked as he stretched out his arms defensively when he saw her suddenly bend forward.

“Looking for a mirror, of course,” she replied. “I can’t wear lipstick, high heels, or skirts deemed inappropriate, but I still have to be the most beautiful woman in the region. I need to outshine all your female classmates.”

As she spoke, she turned to glance at him, exuding a blend of beauty and dominance.

Nie Bozhao’s heart unexpectedly skipped a beat, leaving him feeling slightly flustered.

Her warlike elegance was a stark contrast to the emotional toll his late wife’s disapproval often took.

Yet, it was no less overwhelming.

The private room on the second floor of the state-run restaurant was part of the mining district’s hospitality center, reserved for receiving guests from other farms or organizations.

Without the proper credentials, no amount of money could get one in.

The meal was expensive, featuring Maotai liquor.

A single table could cost 30 yuan, a significant sum considering Chen Lina’s monthly salary was only 50 yuan.

She had never entertained the idea of splurging here.

“This is Hu Su,” Nie Bozhao introduced, “my college classmate. Her husband was a soldier who sacrificed his life saving livestock during a summer flood in Ili. He Min, here, is distantly related to me. He Min, this is your sister-in-law.”

What a relief—his female classmate turned out to be a middle-aged widow in a plain white blouse, her tear-filled eyes still swollen from crying.

However, whether it was due to the engineering school’s culture or her profound grief, she let go of Chen Lina’s hand and suddenly threw herself into Nie’s arms.

“Hu Su!”

“Bozhao!” A thousand words left unsaid, emotions swirling in silence.

Nie Bozhao held her tightly, patting her back. “I know, I know everything. We’re all deeply grieved by Junyou’s passing. But… has the funeral been arranged?”

The female classmate clung to Nie Bozhao, nodding as she sobbed.

“Hu Jie, let me give you a hug too. On behalf of Old Nie, I extend my deepest condolences. Junyou was a soldier of the Republic, and we will never forget his sacrifice,” Chen Lina interjected, pulling Hu Su into an embrace.

Still, she thought to herself:

No matter how heartbroken a widow is, she shouldn’t cling to my man.

Reflecting on her past life, after Nie Bozhao had passed, she’d felt her own world collapse.

So, she could deeply empathize with Hu Su’s pain. “Hold me and cry if you need to. No one will judge you.”

“Director Chen, as soon as I stepped into Mulan Farm, all I heard were legends about you.

From now on, we’ll work shoulder to shoulder. With me here, you can put down your burdens and start enjoying life,” said someone who had been standing quietly nearby.

This was He Min, the new secretary of the farm’s leadership team.

Unlike the affable and kind Secretary Ah, He Min was entirely different.

Though he also wore Liberation Army attire, his uniform was white.

Instead of a black-framed pair of glasses like Nie Bozhao’s, his were metallic-framed.

He wore shiny leather boots, had fair skin, and admittedly, a handsome face—though he was a bit short.

But if Chen Lina remembered correctly, this man was a hypocritical scoundrel.

Yes, He Min was a common enough name, and when District Chief Gao’s wife first mentioned him, Chen Lina had assumed He Min was a woman.

But upon meeting him, she immediately recognized him.

This was the man Nie Bozhao’s second cousin had married.

His character was worse than that of her husband from her past life, Nie Guozhu.

Nie Bozhao’s adoptive father was an only son, but his sister had several daughters.

One of them, Yuan Saozi, had lived with Nie Bozhao’s family as a housekeeper and nanny to Chen Lina.

Her original husband had divorced her after the economic reforms.

And that man, with his penchant for appearances and successful career in politics, was ultimately imprisoned for embezzlement.

That man was He Min—the very one standing before her.

“How is Sister Yuan doing? Did she come with you from Daqing?” Chen Lina asked casually.

“She hasn’t arrived yet, but she’ll be here soon,” He Min replied.

For context, He Min’s mother, also the second wife of Director He, was rumored to have been the chairwoman of the Women’s Federation in Daqing.

If Chen Lina remembered correctly, Yuan Saozi had spoken of her with terror.

This woman, far from being an uneducated shrew, was a cultured but ruthless fighter—a force to be reckoned with.

Standing aside, Chen Lina observed He Min’s masterful social skills as he showered Nie Bozhao with flattery, urging him to drink Moutai. “Come on, big brother, one more glass. It’s just water. Drink up!”

“I have to go to the lab this afternoon to supervise my students’ experiments. Even trace amounts of alcohol could affect the results. I really can’t drink anymore,” Nie Bozhao refused firmly. “And He Min, you’ve just taken office. Drinking this much isn’t good for your image. Let’s wrap it up.”

“But we haven’t even touched the food yet!”

Currently, there were no personal chefs—only state-run restaurants.

The table was laden with delicacies.

A golden glistening roast chicken resting atop tiger-skin eggs, an ornately carved dragon-shaped sweet-and-sour fish, and even a rare, succulent pork hock.

Chen Lina, who hadn’t seen pork in ages, was practically drooling.

If they weren’t going to eat, and Nie Bozhao was in a hurry to leave, then perfect—she’d take it all home.

“If you’re leaving, leave,” she said. “Hu Su, are you heading back to Yili, or…?”

“Can I stay at your farm for a couple of days? I need to clear my head,” Hu Su asked.

“Of course,” Chen Lina replied, bolting downstairs.

He Min and Nie Bozhao exchanged glances, puzzled by her sudden movement.

Moments later, she reappeared, carrying several enamel jars from the car trunk.

“Well, since you all aren’t eating, I’ll pack these dishes up for the kids.”

“Bozhao, you have no idea how hard it’s been for me lately.”

Back home, despite needing to head to work, Chen Lina made sure to comfort Hu Su.

The couple sat with her for a while.

“I understand,” Hu Su said. “Junyou and I came to the frontier together. He joined the army, and I went to the oilfields. I never expected him to…”

“Don’t talk like that! What do you mean ‘never expected’? Don’t say such ominous things!” Chen Lina interrupted. “No more of that, understand?”

Hu Su smiled faintly. “Chen, you seem so much younger than Bozhao—almost like a child.”

“She’s not a child,” Nie Bozhao quickly interjected, stopping himself before saying more.

She’s a demon.

A bone spirit.

A mesmerizing enchantress.

For now, Nie Bozhao remained steadfast in his principles as a devoted international communist, holding his ground against her charms.

“So, Hu Jie,” Chen Lina asked, “are you joining me at the farm this afternoon for some fresh air, or exploring the base?”

“I’d like to visit Bozhao’s lab,” Hu Su replied. “I’ll view it as a junior peer studying my senior’s research achievements.”

Chen Lina felt a pang of jealousy. I can’t stand this. Stay calm. Stay calm.

“Hu Su, entering my lab requires clearance,” Nie Bozhao explained. “Even the district secretary and chief have to call Central for permission. It’s better if you go with Lina for a walk.”

“The farm’s too sunny—it’s bad for my skin. Could I stay in your study and read instead?”

“My study is off-limits—even to my wife. The living room will do. Tell me what books you’d like, and I’ll bring them to you,” Nie Bozhao replied.

Engineering students had their merits.

Like machines, they were cautious, rigid, and uncompromising.